Shadow in the Light
by Rose Tattoo
Summary: another AU B/V set on Vegittasei. all the dbz cast are saiya-jins and life's going on normally until a certain blue haired beauty wiht a mysterious past pops into the picture. better summary inside PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!


Hi hi! Got another AU B/V fic for ya, set on Vegittasei. There's a lot of twists and turns here. Chichi, 18, Krillin, Goku (Kakkarott in this fic), Radditz, and Turles are Royal Guards loyal to the prince. When the mysterious and exotic Bulma with no past to speak of knocks on the palace door looking for a place to belong things start to heat up.  
  
Disclaimer: don't own dbz  
  
1.0 safe for the moment  
  
Bulma pulled the ends of her black cloak tighter around her frozen, slender frame as she walked in the shadows of the empty city streets. Under the soft black material, only a torn, sleeveless navy blue body suit kept out the intense cold of the night. Tears threatened to spill down her cheeks as she walked. It seemed like she had been running for an eternity and she couldn't remember where she was or whom she was running from. All she remembered was waking up in darkness. She was lying on a hard metal table. There were hands pushing her down when she tried to sit up. How she hated those hands. And she couldn't see. Everywhere was darkness, and low whispering voices, voices with no faces or names to put a label on. Some hidden instinct told her she had to get away, rip apart those hands and run. But there was something else in the room that goaded her on to run, something far worse than the restraining hands. But it wasn't a big thing, only a scent really, hardly detectable on the finely filtered air. The scent of death…agonizingly slow, painful death that made her heart stop. The memory made her shudder. Her tail coiled tighter around her waist, causing her breathing to become slightly hindered. Somehow she knew her tail would cause bruises.  
  
A chill wind picked up, clasping the hem of the cloak and pulling it in the direction of the wind. Somehow, Bulma had managed to get out of…wherever it was and grabbed the cloak on the way out. The hands tore at her as she ran, arms tried to restrain her and pull her back, back to the table and the scent…but Bulma wouldn't let them. She didn't know who they were or what they wanted but she would not let them take her.  
  
And now here she was, on an empty street at night. The wind making her stop and cower against the side of a building like a frightened rabbit. A part of her hated herself for this display of weakness. She roughly pushed herself away from the wall and forced herself to keep walking, her hair fluttering madly about her face. A smile crossed her face as a yellow streetlight came into view. Relief flooded through her as she walked faster towards the light.  
  
Bulma was so bent on reaching the light she didn't notice the turn in the paved sidewalk or the person walking around the corner.  
  
"Uuff," Bulma bumped into something that felt like a concrete wall and fell back. Her hold on the cloak loosened and all the warmth fled from her body.  
  
"Excuse me," a deep voice said and Bulma felt herself being pulled up and the cloak was re-wrapped around her shivering form. "I didn't see you."  
  
Bulma looked up into the face of a kind looking man with wild hair and a scar on his cheek. He didn't look like he would hurt her. Maybe he could help her. The idea of her pursuers still after her asserted itself in her mind. Bulma glanced around nervously, her brow furrowed and a frown graced her features.  
  
Bardock looked down at the girl in his arms and a concerned look crossed his face. Why was she hiding in the shadows like that? She looks pretty scared now…I wonder what happened to her, he thought as he studied her face more closely. There was a scratch under her right eye and a bruise on her forehead.  
  
"Are you alright?" he asked, the concern was evident in his voice. Somehow this comforted Bulma.  
  
"I-I don't know…" for some reason the words were hard to form. Bulma looked into the man's eyes and saw no threat there…maybe he had answers to what was happening. "Do you know who I am?" she asked almost weakly.  
  
Bardock was taken aback at her question. Didn't she know who she was? Maybe she got into a fight and hit her head…lost her memory maybe. Bardock shook his head. This could be a problem. He couldn't just leave her here. The nights got cold on Vegittasei and they would get colder still. This girl would freeze to death if she didn't find shelter.  
  
"Alright," Bardock said in a calm voice. "Do you know where you are?" Bulma shook her head. Bardock frowned. "Do you have a place to stay?" again the girl shook her head. Bardock nodded, just as I though…well I can't let her freeze to death out here. Better take her home.  
  
"Alright," he repeated in the same calm voice. "My name is Bardock. I'm going to take you back to my place. You can get something to eat and my mate is a doctor. She'll take care of that cut for you."  
  
"Cut?" Bulma asked surprised, then lifted a pale hand to her face and pulled it back. Through the dim light she saw it was laced with red. Confusion filled her mind as she was led away by Bardock. She leaned against him as he put an arm around her, sheltering her from the wind.  
  
The two walked in silence the rest of the way to Bardock's house. To Bulma's relief it wasn't very far away. Bardock pushed open the rusty iron gate that led to a short stone path that ended at a reddish brown door.  
  
As soon as Bardock reached for the knob, the door opened and light flooded out onto the pathway. A beautiful woman with long, spiky black hair down to her waist stood in the doorway. "Bardock you're late!" she said, placing her hands on her hips and glaring daggers at her mate.  
  
"Um…Lutia, this is…well, we don't know who she is," Bardock gently pushed Bulma in front of him. "I think she has amnesia." He whispered in a low tone to his mate, who immediately took on the role of concerned hostess.  
  
"Well then bring her in! She'll catch her death out here…come in dear," Lutia gently grabbed Bulma's arm and guided her inside. Bulma smiled at the warmth in the house and her tail unwrapped around her waist as Bardock shut the door behind them. She was safe, for the moment anyway. 


End file.
